In 2017 the Anti-Corruption Department under Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General completed the investigation of 214 criminal cases against 305 private and public sector officials and sent to courts for consideration.

The statement was made by Kamran Aliyev, Deputy Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department, at a press conference on Wednesday, APA reported.

According to Aliyev, 83 criminal cases against 127 persons were related to misappropriation and embezzlement, using official position, 56 cases against 67 persons to fraud, 25 criminal cases against 35 persons to abuse of power, 18 cases against 36 persons to bribery, 7 cases against 8 persons to official forgery.

He said that the Anti-Corruption Department considered 7,809 appeals and investigated 280 criminal materials during the reporting period. Of these materials, 181 (65%) criminal cases were initiated under various articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, and other prosecutorial acts were enforced on 99 (35%) materials, added Aliyev.

He further said that the Anti-Corruption Department’s “161 hotline” received 4,183 calls last year, 23.8 percent down compared to previous year.

“Twenty-three criminal cases were initiated based on the complaints. The necessary measures were taken to solve the remaining complaints,” said Aliyev.